This piece was recorded in response to the fireweed sound prescription, sent to me by sound artist Natalia Beylis. The function of the prescription was to help navigate through uncertain situations.

The ecological world is facing this situation, and reflecting on this I walked to, and within a small nearby woodland. First, I waited at the boundary of the woodland, while reflecting on social/ecological boundaries, and places that humans should not go. Mining mountaintops and dredging ocean floors came to mind as places that our species violate. While waiting at the boundary, I requested permission from the woodland to enter, acknowledging the human intrusion and explaining the reason for being there.

The woodland did not give permission on that occasion. I recorded the spoken word piece while at the boundary, outside the woodland. I also made photographic recordings of the boundary spaces.

I returned to the woodland the next day, and again sought permission. This time the woodland gave permission. I made some photographic recordings.

I returned to the woodland again, continuing with the ritual of seeking permission. The woodland gave permission. I was drawn to chant in the woodland, and so I recorded the Om Namah Shivaya chant while turning in a circle inside the woodland. In post, I layered (triple-tracked) my chanting in order to add a small sense of chorus, and added a subtle downward pitch shift on one track to indicate discomfort and uncertainty at the human/ecology relationship.

Finally, I returned to the woodland on New Year’s Eve (2021), a windy and unseasonably warm day, expected to be the warmest New Year’s Eve on record. There I recorded the unusually vocal birdsong that was accompanying the sound of the wind through the trees. I felt this was a fitting moment to capture – the beauty of the birds singing, but for reasons of unusual and unseasonal temperature signals they were receiving from the environment.

In Vedic mythology, Shiva is known as the destroyer. Shiva destroys illusions and self-doubt, and helps the one who chants his mantra to discover their true self, transcending fear and uncertainty. He is coloured blue from drinking the poison of the world. This is the chant that came to me in response to the sound prescription. The five syllables in the chant (after Om) sonify the five ancient elements:

Na – earth
Ma – water
Shi – fire
Va – wind/air
Ya – space/sky